Do I need to replace my motors?

[Billybanana75]

Hi,
I have recently noticed my mavic is not as steady as it used to be, it doesn’t hover in one spot like it used to. I also think it may be slower than it used to be.
I am wondering if it is recommended to replace the motors at a certain point. It’s a first generation mavic pro.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
THANKS!

 

[Meta4]

No .. the motors will outlive your drone.
Motors aren't going to cause what you think you've observed any way.
It's unlikely that your drone is actually slower or is hovering worse.
Recorded data would confirm if it is.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

Hi,
I have recently noticed my mavic is not as steady as it used to be, it doesn’t hover in one spot like it used to. I also think it may be slower than it used to be.
I am wondering if it is recommended to replace the motors at a certain point. It’s a first generation mavic pro.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
THANKS!

Run through some calibrations, especially the IMU.

 

[Droning on and on...]

Run through some calibrations, especially the IMU.

And clean the VPS cameras, make sure they haven't gotten dirty or scratched.

As @Meta4 said, motors should be fine.

 

[kpmac]

And check your props.

 

[EssenYVR]

If you must, replace the props first. They're way cheaper to replace and more likely to need it.

 

[Billybanana75]

Thank you all for your feedback, much appreciated!

 

[RoosArt]

I have had the same experience with my original Mavic Air. Calibrating the IMU solved the problem. I think when your drone acts funny peculiar it is advisable to look whether the IMU is the cause by calibrating it and checking drone performance after that.

 

[Meta4]

I have recently noticed my mavic is not as steady as it used to be, it doesn’t hover in one spot like it used to. I also think it may be slower than it used to be.

Before taking any action and trying to "fix" things, it would be advisable to find out whether there is an actual problem.
To check whether the drone is slower than it used to be, is a simple matter of posting the flight data from a flight where it seemed to be going slow.

There have been cases of the original Mavic Mini, particularly on early firmware running slow, because in time the props would flatten and the drone wouldn't tilt forward properly.
But I don't think this issue happened in other models.

Re the possibility that the drone is not hovering on the spot, there are a few things to consider.
Drones won't hover perfectly in place, some movement is normal.
As an example the Mini 3 pro specs indicate:
Hovering Accuracy Range
Vertical:
±0.1 m (with vision positioning)
±0.5 m (with GPS positioning)

Horizontal:
±0.3 m (with vision positioning)
±0.5 m (with high-precision positioning system)

If your drone is too high for VPS to help or if it is above a surface that is unsuitable for VPS or if it doesn't have VPS, it would be quite normal for the drone to wander ± half a metre.
How much is yours moving around while hovering?
If it's above a surface that confuses VPS, that distance could be increased.

Could any of that be a factor in your perception that the drone isn't hovering properly?

 

[JimSteadman]

I have recently noticed my mavic is not as steady as it used to be, it doesn’t hover in one spot like it used to. I also think it may be slower than it used to be. Hmmm... Sounds like me. When you find the cure, please let me know.

 

[BetterBizWorks]

Hi,
I have recently noticed my mavic is not as steady as it used to be, it doesn’t hover in one spot like it used to. I also think it may be slower than it used to be.
I am wondering if it is recommended to replace the motors at a certain point. It’s a first generation mavic pro.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
THANKS!

When is the last time you changed your props? They get soft and worn and can affect performance. For $20 it's a cheap fix.

 

[Billybanana75]

When is the last time you changed your props? They get soft and worn and can affect performance. For $20 it's a cheap fix.

IDK, I ordered new ones though, thanks

 

[Billybanana75]

I have recently noticed my mavic is not as steady as it used to be, it doesn’t hover in one spot like it used to. I also think it may be slower than it used to be. Hmmm... Sounds like me. When you find the cure, please let me know.

I am going through recalibrating everything and have new props coming, sounds like that may help

 

[Billybanana75]

Before taking any action and trying to "fix" things, it would be advisable to find out whether there is an actual problem.
To check whether the drone is slower than it used to be, is a simple matter of posting the flight data from a flight where it seemed to be going slow.

There have been cases of the original Mavic Mini, particularly on early firmware running slow, because in time the props would flatten and the drone wouldn't tilt forward properly.
But I don't think this issue happened in other models.

Re the possibility that the drone is not hovering on the spot, there are a few things to consider.
Drones won't hover perfectly in place, some movement is normal.
As an example the Mini 3 pro specs indicate:
Hovering Accuracy Range
Vertical:
±0.1 m (with vision positioning)
±0.5 m (with GPS positioning)

Horizontal:
±0.3 m (with vision positioning)
±0.5 m (with high-precision positioning system)

If your drone is too high for VPS to help or if it is above a surface that is unsuitable for VPS or if it doesn't have VPS, it would be quite normal for the drone to wander ± half a metre.
How much is yours moving around while hovering?
If it's above a surface that confuses VPS, that distance could be increased.

Could any of that be a factor in your perception that the drone isn't hovering properly?

thank you, i believe a recalc and new blades may help fix my problem

 

[Meta4]

thank you, i believe a recalc and new blades may help fix my problem

And I believe you probably don't have any problem that needs fixing.
Despite the number of times people suggest it, recalibrating things and new propellers aren't going to make any difference to the supposed issues you described.
It makes sense to find out before messing around with things that might not need "fixing".

 

[Droning on and on...]

And I believe you probably don't have any problem that needs fixing.
Despite the number of times people suggest it, recalibrating things and new propellers aren't going to make any difference to the supposed issues you described.
It makes sense to find out before messing around with things that might not need "fixing".

...and the best way to do this is examine the flight logs.

Among many things that can be looked at is the compass readings, and a plot of the flight path.